USGA Women's Mid-Amateur Qualifing

Staying an extra day near Pinehurst meant committing to another big day of driving but I figured I could handle it as I had been stationary for a week.  

I was a bit surprised with the amount of traffic I encountered on the road for a Saturday, but I guess people were enjoying what may have been their last or second last weekend of summer as the kids in the states go back to school before Labor Day.  I'm learning to just take it easy, leave space and practice patience.  

Next destination is Merry Meadows Recreation Farm in Freeland, Maryland, another spot I found kind of last minute but turned out to be quite nice and the closest to Hillendale Golf Club outside Baltimore, Maryland, the site for the Mid-Am Qualifier.   I arrived before dark on Saturday and had time to get set up.  The first site the lady in the office wanted me to go onto wasn't working well for me.  It was a back in at an awkward angle.  The park wasn't that busy so she went back to the office to see what else she could offer and then came back with the idea of putting me in a pull through that was at the other end of the same section of sites.  It worked out quite well for me.  

I had arranged my practice round for Sunday.  The weather forecast wasn't very good and this time the forecasters got it right, we were plagued with showers and thunderstorms, which meant I had to leave the course twice during the round and also had to play in the rain.  

On one visit to the club house I noticed this statue:

It is in memory of Johnny Unitas and says he was a member of the club for 24 years. On another visit, I found this in the locker room:

It made me feel pretty welcome.  The trouble was that all the names were taken down before the actual qualifying round the following day!

The practice round was not much fun, but I was in a cart so that helped a bit.  The course was pretty empty due to the weather so getting around between the lightning warnings wasn't very difficult.  This course had a very large number of blind shots with most holes playing up hill.  The fairways were very narrow, 20 - 25 yards only, and the rough challenging.  Being a Mid-Am the course was also set up on the long side.  It rained more in the evening and overnight, which made the course even longer.  I found out shortly after arriving at the course that the 3rd player in my group had cancelled, leaving us as a twosome.  The gal I was playing with is a new Mid-Amer at 26.  Her caddy showed up just a couple of minutes before we were to tee off.  On the first hole he was annoying me, talking and moving about when I was trying to play.  I told him off and he shaped up.  Unfortunately neither of us was playing up to our full potential and we were feeding off each other in a negative way.  Neither of us was successful in qualifying. 

This was my first experience with the: 

They did a good job running the tournament. I learned about non-stinging wasps that like to make their homes in sand traps.  They and I were in one on the 17th hole.  They are quite off putting.  I called the rules official who explained about them and that because they don't sting they don't pose a dangerous condition.

I had decided to try out for the USGA Mid-Am because I had such a good time last year at the USGA Senior.  Both the qualifying round and the tournament fit in with my other travel plans, but it was a bit of a stretch to think I would be able to qualify so I wasn't too upset that I didn't.

I stayed at Merry Meadows for another two nights.  This allowed me to enjoy their grounds, which included some trails to a pond, a collection of old farm tractors, and a nice pool.  There was a driving range there as well, but it was hitting off mats so I didn't try it.  I have no idea what the quality of the balls was.  I also gave the truck a good cleaning inside for its 3rd month anniversary. 

One of my 30 lb propane tanks had finally run out a week or so ago.  Seeing as it lasted so long I wasn't in a big hurry to get it refilled as I have another one as well.  This campground offered propane filling service, so I took advantage of it.  I also managed to get pick-up, delivery and installation service, all for $20.00.  The owner of the campground provided the extra services for me.  In some of the park reviews people had been saying some nasty stuff about his wife, who runs the office.  I think I am grateful that I never encountered her although their issues were about rule enforcement and I generally obey the park rules. 

I am not big on having campfires, but here I did find some wood others had purchased and left behind, so one evening I tested my fire making skills and was successful.  I had been collecting some papers that needed secure disposal, so used them as a starter and had purchased some marshmallows, which I roasted as a treat.  It was a perfect night for a fire, little wind and no bugs. 

Pinehurst North Carolina, North South Tournament

By virtue of qualifying for the USGA Women's Senior Amateur last fall, I received an invitation from Pinehurst to play in their Senior Women's North South tournament, August 15-18.  It is a 54 hole tournament played on 54 different holes (Pinehurst #1, 5 and 8).  The Senior Men's tournament is played at the same time and courses with a different rotation.  Having never been to the famous Pinehurst, I figured this was an invitation I should not decline.  

I was struggling to find a campground nearby, until one of the members of Boondockers welcome suggested a new campground called Farm Pond, a bit north east of Pinehurst.  In fact this contact did offer for me to stay at their place, although they weren't going to be home.  They were going to arrange for it to be complete with water and power.  They were slightly further and south of Pinehurst.  Farm Pond was only $30 per night so I felt better with that because I was initially going to be staying for 5 nights and Boondockers is usually only for a night or two.  The campground worked out well for me.  My site was close to the entrance, with a bit of shade.  One of the other campers decided he should back my trailer into the site, which was fine with me.  

I ended up arranging to arrive a day earlier, which allowed me to go and check out Pinehurst a day before the official practice round day.  There are lots of photo opportunities: 

Payne Stewart, taken from us way too soon.

Well put.  I'd just change his to her. 

I had a good practice session on Sunday.  The defending champion and friend of mine, Judith Kyrinis was also using the practice facilities, which game us a chance to catch up. 

Monday I was scheduled to play my official practice round at 9:30 a.m. on #8, the course one of my friends from the GTA Am Tour said was the most challenging of the three we were scheduled to play.  

I was paired with two ladies, who I recognized from last years USGA Senior Women's, and a fellow who was practicing for the men's side.  All of them had been to the tournament before.  I birdied the first hole!  The course was in excellent condition as is to be expected at Pinehurst and it was good to have played the course because there are a lot of blind shots.  After the round I went to the main Pinehurst grounds hoping to play the back 9 on #5.  That wasn't going to be possible but I was offered a cart to go around and look at the holes.  I managed to look at the entire #5 course and the front 9 on course #1, before I had to head in to get ready for the opening dinner.  The fellow I played with in the morning sought me out at the cocktail and hors d'oeuvers reception and we ended up sitting with Judith and some other Canadian players, both men and women for dinner.  The dinner was an elaborate buffet.  

Tuesday morning was round one for me on course #8.  I was a little nervous and excited on the first tee, well actually the 10th tee as I was to play the back nine first.  I really don't like having to play a course in an order other than what the designer intended.  I hadn't realized how strong the field for this tournament was, with many former USGA champions and also former tour professionals who have been re-instated as amateurs.  I was feeling privileged to be in their midst.  I didn't have any great expectations being my first time and that is wasn't possible to be fully prepared, having played practice rounds on all courses.  This format is extra difficult because the greens on all the courses are different speeds.  I also thought there was only one prize, for the champion.  After the first round I was tied for 22nd out of 37. 

My second round was on #5, which had recently been reopened after replacing the greens.  Unfortunately they over watered most of the greens over night and the collars were soaked, balls hitting in front were plugging or hitting and rolling back instead of forward.  May of the players felt this was unfair and not the conditions we deserved to play in.  After the second round I was tied for 18th.  

My final round was on #1.  The playing conditions were much better than the previous day.  I was paired with a couple of ladies who's hearts weren't really into it as they were used to finishing higher.  I wasn't planning on giving up but their chatter and demeanor made it hard to stay focused on my game.  I ended the tournament tied for 20th.  

It turns out they give prizes down to 6th place. 

I was 17 shots from 6th place and 40 shots from last.  Not bad for my first attempt.  I feel I can do much better if I am invited back next year. 

I was happy to be on hand to witness my friend Judith defend her title and be awarded her second Putter Boy trophy.  She started the final day 2 shots back and ended up winning by 10!  There was a three way tie for 2nd place.

I ended up staying in the area for an extra day (camping was free, buy 6 get 1 free) in order to play Foxfire Grey course with my new friend from Monday.  I shot even par...go figure. 

Alpacas

My next and ultimate destination is Pinehurst, North Caroline, but the distance is a bit too far to travel in one day, so I will make a stop at one of the places available through Harvest Hosts.  In this case it is an Alpaca farm in Virginia.  

I should have more carefully planned my journey through, or rather around Baltimore and Washington, as the usual route involves traveling through tunnels, where trailers like mine, carrying propane tanks are prohibited.  There are also toll roads that get rather expensive when you are traveling with 4 axles.  It was also Friday, which in this area means extra traffic.  This ended up being my longest day in the truck by time, as opposed to the most distance traveled.  I had to get off the highway a couple of times to find the routes that didn't involve tunnels and spent a lot of time in stop and go traffic.  I didn't have enough cash with me to pay the final toll bill, so was given a form to mail in with the payment.  Thanks to Beth at The Energy Credit Union for looking after that.  I will look at getting an E-Z Pass.  

After this harrowing day on the road, once I reached the farm I had to navigate this road: 

It was kind of steep and didn't offer the best traction.  On the first attempt I couldn't make it up the hill, so I backed down, switched into four-wheel-drive and then made it up.  I hadn't really thought I would need four-wheel-drive on the truck, but it has come in handy on occasions like this. 

Here I am at the camping site:

With Harvest Hosts they aren't obligated to provide electrical power, but seeing as it was about 100 degrees F and the temperature wasn't going to drop that much over night my hostess offered me a fan that was in the barn and the 15 amp power to operate it.  I started with the fan blowing in the back window of the trailer and then clued in to the fact that I could use the same cord to power the fan in the trailer that would move the air through my duct system.  It wasn't as good as full air conditioning but helped to make it tolerable for the night.  

The following morning I got to meet the Alpacas.  They are very nice animals, with dense, soft coats. 

I learned a lot about the Alpaca business.  

Philadelphia Here I Come

Once again I have fallen behind on my blog.  I will work on getting caught back up with a series of posts so that none are too long.

So, after 3 restful days in Maine, on August 10th I did a pretty big drive to Philadelphia.  I have never been to Philly before so was looking forward to seeing a certain bell and eating a namesake, steak sandwich.  

I found a campground on the outskirts of town that offered shuttle service to the public transit system.  The fellows working there were very welcoming, but not as expertly helpful as in Maine.  Once again I had to back in, but this time I had all the space in the world.  I think I could have managed the maneuver on my own, but the attendant was insistent on "helping" me.  It took us about 6 tries to back the trailer up into a double wide spot, with about 3 lengths of the trailer open in front of the site.   

After the long drive and the adventure getting the trailer parked, I decided that a round of golf was in order.  I found that there is a municipal course, F.D.R. not too far from the campground/commuter parking lot.  It wasn't in the best of shape, but that didn't bother me.

Was I ever surprised when I spotted these deer on the back 9 of the course.

In all there were 7, three does, two bucks and three fawns.  

After the round of golf would have been the best opportunity to go to the Museum of Art, with the "Rocky" steps but it was getting late and I was more interested in dinner.  Someone that worked at the golf course suggested the Italian neighborhood.  I found my way there but was struggling to find a restaurant that looked worthy of my business.  I noticed 3 ladies who looked like they had just had dinner speaking together on the sidewalk.  I asked them where they would suggest and they recommended the place they had just been at.  Additionally, Philly allows you to bring your own bottle, so they offered me what was left in their wine bottle.  I enjoyed their red wine, along with a light dinner of Cesar salad (with whole anchovy fillet) and an appetizer portion of eggplant parmigiana.  

The following day was a big day of being a tourist.  First stop was Independence Hall:

The tour guide explained that before staples and binders, groups of pages were tied together like this, which is where the expression tied up in red tape came from. 

Next up was the famous bell: 

Followed by lunch:

Busy grill.

 

Then the: 

which was very well done and interesting.  They don't allow any photography inside to you'll just have to go for a visit yourself. 

I did a quick visit to the Reading Terminal Market just before it closed.  I picked up a couple of pretzels that were 1/2 price because it was closing time.  The St. Lawrence Market in Toronto is better, in my opinion. 

The unexpected treat was that the Eagles were playing a preseason game at home on this, Thursday night.  I was able to get a ticket and took the subway to the park.  

This set-up won my vote for best tailgaters:

Pretty sick Class A Motor Home.

Lincoln Financial Field was my 3rd NFL stadium (Buffalo, Dallas).  It is 13 years old.  It replaced Veteran's stadium.  I remember some of the controversy surrounding the name change...corporate sponsorship.  They built this monument as a tribute to the former stadium and the veterans it honored.

View from my seat, a little high up, but 50 yard line, on Eagles side.

It is located right next to Citizen's Bank Park, where the Phillies play. 

 

The hype was that their new back-up quarter back was going to make his debut.  He was scheduled to play the whole second half, but the coach surprised everyone and put him in late in the first half.  I believe he did quite well for his first NFL live action.  The Eagles beat the Buccaneers so everyone went home happy. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Philly. 

Crossing Into the USA

I was trying to economize on the price paid for diesel fuel, which I believe in much lower in the US than Canada, despite the current exchange rate, so I only partially filled my tank prior to heading to the border.  

Traffic was light at the crossing I used, which was built only about 5 years ago.  The guard I got was quite friendly, asked the usual questions and then said he had to have a look inside the trailer.  I gave him the keys and he went to do his thing.  He wasn't very long before he came back and said, "have a nice day."  He didn't say anything about the expired NEXUS card I had passed him, along with my passport.  I had been a little nervous about the process of crossing with the trailer, but it went smoothly.

Immediately after the border there was a gas station, but it was very busy, and not wanting to waste time waiting, I carried on, figuring there would be another one coming up pretty soon.  Unfortunately that was not the case and my tank was getting rather empty.  The next station I came across didn't sell diesel, but they told me about 15 miles further up the road there was one that did.  It was a good thing it wasn't any further because I arrived there almost on fumes.  Note to self, check on Gas Buddy where the gas stations are.  In addition to running low on fuel, I was getting a warning that the diesel exhaust fluid was also running low.  That was the first time for that warning with about 7,000 km on the truck.  It is supposed to last between oil changes, but I guess towing makes it use more, or it wasn't totally filled up in the assembly line or pre-delivery inspection.  The same station had DEF for sale, but I was uncertain exactly what I needed, so decided to wait until I could find a Ford dealer to get it from.  

My first campground in the US was to be Cedar Haven Family Campground near Freeport, Maine.  I had only reserved it the day before.  I was told that the office would be closed because they were 7th Day Adventists, so I would find an envelope on the bulletin board outside the office door, which would have a map to my site and a receipt for my payment.  Everything was in order as advised when I arrived.  The trouble was this was a back in site, the road was a little narrow, the sites across from and next to mine were full, so there was not that much room to maneuver.  Thankfully the park manager was around and offered to help me back in.  He did so very excellently and I got parked on the first try, backing in at a 90 degree angle.  The park is very nice, not too big, well treed and with a small pond.  They have lots of sports equipment for the campers to use, unlike any place I have been previously, including pool tables, air hockey, horseshoes, tether ball, soccer and basket balls, paddle boats and kayaks, all included in the campsite fee.  I enjoyed some kayaking and would have liked to play air hockey, but couldn't find a willing opponent. 

Originally I was only going to be at this campground for one night but having not made sufficient bookings in advance, my plan to spend two nights in New York City fell through, so I stayed put for three nights.  The second day I played a nearby golf course and went for a lobster dinner. 

 


I have determined that PEI lobsters are better than Maine Lobsters, at least at this time of year, partly because as you can see the claw is not very full of meat.  The following day I looked after getting the DEF for the truck (it took 5 gallons and cost about $20) and a few other shopping items as well as a fish sandwich for lunch on the pier in Freeport. 

I've learned that it is important to make reservations well in advance during the busy summer season, in order to avoid being disappointed.  

PEI Wrap Up and Final Days in Canada

It was really easy getting through the toll booth (they have a credit card machine with a very long cord that reached into the cab of my truck) and onto the bridge to leave PEI.  The weather was only slightly better than when I had crossed on, overcast but not raining.  I was a bit emotional seeing as I had such a good time.  The things I had remembered about the island from when I had visited as a child still rang true, very red earth, friendly people, slower pace, less traffic, many shades of green provided by crops and trees, good food.  I enjoyed the golf, something I hadn't experienced on the island previously.  I met a lot of really nice people.  I had imagined I would be golfing mostly with other tourists but that wasn't the case, as noted previously, the majority were islanders, which gave me insight into life on the Island.  Many days I felt a bit like I was back in Portugal but fortunately here everyone spoke English.  I can see myself visiting the Island again in the near future, it is my speed and offers much of what I enjoy in life.  

The next two nights, on the way to the US border I had arranged to stay at places from the Harvest Host club.  The first one was a German run winery that also makes brandy and liquors from fruits.  They have been in business a bit over 25 years.  It is in New Brunswick, very close to the Nova Scotia border.  I was to set up the trailer on the lawn in front of one of their buildings, next to the road.  The road wasn't very busy but the area is very windy.  It blew all night wiggling the trailer a bit, to the point I felt I was back on a cruise ship again.  In appreciation for the stay, I picked up a bottle of wine, which I started that evening (interestingly it has a cork similar to port bottles, so is easy to reseal, and a bottle of their 25th anniversary sparkling wine, which I will wait for a special occasion to enjoy.

The following night I was at Granite Town Farms in St. George, New Brunswick.  They specialize in all things blueberry and it happens to be blueberry season.  They are right next to a river.  I thought I was going to set up next to the river, but I was informed that the following morning there would be a market set up on a portion of their property and the customers would be parking in the area the trailer would be, so if I wanted to be sure I could get out, I should park closer to the access road on the other side of the property, which I did.  The air was much calmer than the previous night, allowing me to sleep well.  As it turned out due to the overcast sky and another event in the area the market didn't have much business, so I could have parked anywhere.  I purchased an individual piece of blueberry pie and a small jar of blueberry spread with no sugar added.  The pie was wonderful.  I haven't opened the jar yet.  In fact the pie was so good I bought another slice the following morning.  I checked out the market stalls and purchased a package of two cinnamon buns for $2.50.  I had them for breakfast the next two mornings warmed up slightly in the microwave.  They rival Cinnabon's at a fraction of the price.  

I previously wrote excitedly about crossing into my 2nd province, which was Quebec.  I am now a more seasoned RV traveler with 5 provinces having passed under my tires.  

Summerside and Charlottown

From Panmure Island Provincial Park I moved to Linkletter Provincial Park.  It was a nice change from Panmure.  Much more professionally run and way better set up.  More of the sites had a view of the water and the bridge to the island.  My first night there I had quite a chat with some people who were tent camping from New Brunswick and then a couple in a big class A motor-home from Alberta.  They were very experienced and gave me quite a few tips on places to stay in the west.  They were headed all the way to Newfoundland.  The following night I spent some time with a group of people, some of whom had some musical talent and were sitting around the campfire, playing guitars and singing.  It was quite enjoyable, until the mosquito started pestering me.

Golf wasn't really on the agenda at this stop, but I did end up playing the Summerside Golf Club that was recently renamed PEI Oceanview Resort and Golf.  They have big plans for the place.  Unfortunately for me, they haven't yet built the 9 holes that will have views of the ocean.  The course as it stands isn't anything great.  I played with a father and son.  We had a nice game.  They were from the area, though the son is currently living and working in Fredericton.  Prior to the round I had spent some time in Summerside checking out the town. There is a nice waterfront trail and a boardwalk with some shops and restaurants, a horse track and casino, etc. 

My last campground on PEI this trip is Pine Hills RV Park, not far from Charlottetown.  It was recommended to me by the guy from Fredericton I played with at Dundarave.  I really like that park.  It has quite a few amenities and is well set up.  I guess being privately owned has some advantages.  It is a little more per night, but it is worth it.  

From Pine Hills I went to play Belvedere Golf Club on Monday, which is where Lori Kane got her start in the game.  I played with a lovely couple.  This is my type of course, mature, parkland, easy to walk.  The overall conditioning could be a little bit better.  We had a nice game.  They suggested the courses I should play the next two days, my last ones on PEI.

The following day I played Fox Meadow.  It is a newer course, which is quite hilly, has strategically placed bunkers and large greens.  I played with three local guys who don't play much golf.  They provided quite a bit of comic relief.  I managed to keep my composure and play quite well.  They said I was the best golfer they had ever played with.  Some of the vistas would have been prettier a few years earlier, before the housing subdivisions started encroaching on the course.  We didn't see any fox(s), though I did see one at Belvedere yesterday and also at Crowbush after the big rainstorm.  

My final round on PEI was at Stanhope Golf and Country Club.  The course is a combination of park land and links style.  There are some holes on the back 9 near the water, with nice views.  The front nine is rather boring.  Overall the course is in very poor condition, other than the greens.  There are a lot of weeds and some places with hard pan.  The greens are tricky with many flags tucked behind large mounds that make approach shots challenging.  The course was quite dry.  I played with a couple of brothers, the older one was 82, I'm guessing the younger one was 64.  They were perfect gentlemen.  The pace of play was painfully slow with two groups on some tee decks.  I kind of lost interest part way around due to the poor conditioning and the slow pace of play.  I won't be playing this course on any future trips to the island.  

For my last supper on the island, I treated myself to the New Glasgow Lobster Supper Restaurant.   I have heard the advertisements on the radio and seen the flyers around, so I had to try it.  It really was the best place for lobster on the island that I experienced.  It wasn't fun waiting in line for nearly 1 hour to get in, but for the quality and quantity of food it was worth it.  

Later today I will be packing up and heading off the island and ultimately toward Pinehurst, North Carolina.  

Sheppard Farm and Moving On - Brudenell, Dundarave and Crowbush

I'm behind on the blog again.  I'm just having too much fun in life to be sitting down at the computer.

The morning after the last post I asked at the farm if I could do anything more to help out.  The request was appreciated and I was asked to pick 20 more pounds of potatoes and deliver them to the restaurant, give the baby chickens two scoops of feed and paint the back of the photo board (the type you see at attractions where you stick your head through the hole and become something else) blue.  In exchange I got some more potatoes and 8 fresh eggs.  All of these tasks took a little longer than I had expected, so I was later than I had planned leaving the farm and getting to my next camp ground and round of golf. 

Next stop was Brudenell Provincial Campground so I would be close by to play Brudenell and Dundarave golf courses as well as I thought Crowbush.  I opted for an all you can play deal at these courses plus Mill River for 7 days.  This campground was quite nice and worked out well for me.  My first round was supposed to be that afternoon at Crowbush, but I didn't realize it was about a 35 minute drive from the other two courses.  I was originally supposed to tee off at 3:00, which I changed to 4:00, but in the end I switched to Dundarave, instead which was only 3 minutes from the campground.  

Dundarave was built after Brudenell and is around the outside of it.  For this reason there is a long way between several of the holes.  I was told the length adds about 6 holes, so riding a cart is recommended.  This first day there I was already kind of tired from all the farm work I had done, so I gladly rode.  By 4:15 in the afternoon the course wasn't very busy so I played by myself.  I didn't rush around.  The course is on really to my liking as it is more of a links style, with some places reminding me a bit of desert golf with dried grasses and pieces of driftwood, trying to be art.  They had lost parts of some of the greens a year ago spring and the repairs are still evident with different sorts of grass on the greens.  The greens were the fastest so far on the island. 

The following day I made my way out to Crowbush for my first round there.  I was not impressed with the main entrance.  On the median there is a very large, very dead tree.  It is rather eerie.  The only thing it would be good for is as a resting spot for a flock of crows but there were none on it.  I think is is quite an eyesore and should be removed.  The course offers some water views and long forced carries over water from the white tees, which I was playing.  I played with a couple of guys, one who was recently diagnosed with MS.  He has good days and bad.  He is married with two young daughters.  His prospects aren't good.  This was my birthday, so I was grateful for my good health.  The course demands pretty accurate shot making and the making of various shots.  I thought a few of the holes were bordering on unfair.  I also didn't care for the overall layout with the parking lot quite removed from the club house.  The range was small, with only 6 hitting spots, which were quite chewed up. It wasn't overly long either and therefore had limited distance balls.  Warming up wasn't much fun. The greens were slower than Dundarave.  On the way back to the campground, I treated myself to a lobster supper. 

The next day, Monday July 25th, I played my first round at Brudenell.  I played with three ladies who were part of a high school reunion group from Winnipeg.  There were about 18 in the whole group.  I played from the white tees, while the rest of them played from the reds.  We had a nice game.  This course is more to my liking, a traditional parkland style course.  There are a few blind shots and some nice holes along the water, as well as elevation changes.  The plantings around the tees are quite well done.  The course is quite lovely.  There is a snack bar/washroom building you pass 3 times during the course of a round.  This course is very easy to walk as the greens and tees are close together.  After the round I stayed for a snack and drink and was introduced to the entire group.  

None of the courses in PEI provide drinking water at the tees.  I've heard mixed things about whether the water in the washrooms is drinkable or not.  Some are posted as not potable.  At Brudenell, one of the snack bar gals refilled my water bottle from the tap and another said she wasn't allowed to.  At Dundarave the gal said the water in the building was fine to drink, she always does and is fine.  I'm beginning to take more than one bottle with me to the courses.  

The next day I was back at Crowbush.  The sky was overcast and the closer to the club I got the harder it was raining.  I was reluctant to play starting at 10:00, my original tee time.  I've been playing enough golf and I didn't want to have to dry out all my equipment.  Low and behold at about 10:15, while I was still debating the merits of playing a couple of friends of mind from Pickering walked in.  We were all in shock.  It truly is a small world.  They were to tee off at 11:00, so I decided to play with them.  It was drizzling when we started, there was a big downpour while we were on the 10th hole, but by the time we finished it had stopped raining and all our gear was dry.  For this round I played from the green tees, which are a combination of the whites and reds, mostly reds.  I found this a bit more enjoyable than the whites as I was moved up on some of the holes with long carries.  

The next day I played Brudenell again, but before doing so I had to pack up the trailer because I was moving to Panmure Island Provincial Park.  When I had booked Brudenell Provincial Park they hadn't had space for the full week.  Panmure was the next closest about 20 minutes west.  There was plenty of room in the Brudenell resort parking lot for my full rig. This time I was paired with three guys, two were from BC and one from Fredericton, New Brunswick.  One from BC and the one from NB were brothers in law.  The other was a friend of theirs.  We had a nice game.  I played the whites again.  I was able to help them get around the course having played it one more time than they had.  We were congenial enough that we enjoyed a post round drink and snack together.  The restaurant had a special with 2lbs of mussels and a jug of beer for $23.00.  We had two helpings.  

The following day I played Dundarave again with the fellow I had met at Green Gables, who has recently moved to PEI from Galt, Ontario, and two other fellows from PEI.  It was a very hot and humid day, so once again it was nice to be riding for that reason as well as how far it would be to walk around this course.  We all played the white tees.  

My last day of play in the area was a round later in the afternoon, so I could play with the sister of the fellow I met at the first campground.  She has been working at Brudenell for 18 years.  She is a pretty good golfer.  We had a nice round.  Two different ladies joined us for 9 holes each.  In the morning I took the opportunity to check out the nearby beach and lighthouse.  The beach is very nice, red sand of course, very wide and long, good for walking and swimming.  There were two lifeguards on duty.  I spent some time talking with a woman who was doing daycare for 5 kids who were playing at the beach.  I also checked out the portion of the campground that was on the opposite side of the street.  It was a little nicer than where I was, as there was a view of the water.  This was the worst campground I have stayed at so far.  

We started the round on the back 9 because there was less traffic there.  We played the green tees.  That was good for me as it was a little change from the previous two rounds I played on the course.  Towards the end of the round some rain fell.  I had asked her where to go for dinner that night.  She made a wonderful suggestion, Clamdiggers.  When I arrived there though it was raining so hard I had to wait in the truck for about 25 minutes, to avoid getting drenched, even with the umbrella.  I had a platter with fried clams, scallops, fish and chips.  The service was fast and friendly and the food was very fresh and tasty.